Sahaja Yoga is an ancient form of meditation that brings about inner peace in a human being. One is able to achieve his 'yoga' or union with the divine energy, through the spontaneous awakening of the inner energy known as 'Kundalini'. This establishes an inner state, when one is at peace with himself and his surroundings, the state of pure witness and 'thoughtless awareness'. Sahaja Yoga was founded by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi in 1970 and is widely practiced in over 120 nations today.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Meditate your way to a bigger brain

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classes every Sunday 5pm:
We are happy to announce new weekend classes beginning on Nov 21st 2010, Sundays, at 5pm in the San Diego Meditation Center in Clairemont Mesa.

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Local Meditation Center
Sahaja Meditation Center (San Diego)
McGrath Court
7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., #222
San Diego, CA 92111

Beginner level classes
Tuesdays        6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Wednesdays   6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Thursdays       6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Sundays          5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Dear [fname]

Meditate your way to a bigger brain

NEW YORK: Push-ups, crunches and gyms are fine for building bigger muscles and stronger bones. But can you meditate your way to a bigger brain?

The answer is yes, as a new study has established that certain regions in the brains of those meditating long-term were larger than in a similar group.

A group of researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the brains of people who meditate.

Specifically, such people showed significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus-regions known for regulating emotions.
"We know that people who consistently meditate have a singular ability to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behaviour," said Eileen Luders, study co-author and postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Lab of Neuro Imaging.

Luders and colleagues examined 44 people, 22 control subjects and 22 who had practised Zazen, Samatha and Vipassana meditation, among others. They had devoted an average of 24 years to the practice.
More than half of all the people who meditate said that deep concentration was an essential part of their practice, and most meditated between 10 and 90 minutes daily, said an UCLA release.
The researchers used a high-resolution, three-dimensional form of MRI and two different approaches to measure differences in brain structure.

These findings were published in NeuroImage.

Practicing: Guided Meditations

Sit upright and relaxed, cross-legged, on the floor. If you choose to sit on a chair, place your feet a little apart from each other, without shoes. Rest your hands palms open and upward on your lap. The following techniques are useful for feeling the vibrations of your channels.

cleairng-left-channel Clearing the left channel

Place the right hand on the ground (or towards the ground if you are on a chair) and the left hand palm upwards on your lap as it is shown. For a couple of minutes, put your attention on your left hand and see if you feel anything cool or warm in your left palm. Then follow the next exercise.

clearing-right-channel Clearing the right channel

Hold the left hand in the air with the fingers pointing upwards, towards the sky, with the palm of the hand facing behind you as it is shown in the picture. Keep the right hand palm upwards on your lap. For a couple of minutes, put your attention on your right hand and see if you feel anything cool or warm in your right palm.

Self-realization (Kundalini awakening)

A human being is said to have achieved their Self-realization when their Kundalini has been awakened. We connect with our spirit and spontaneously exist in a state of meditation when the mothering, spiritual energy known as the Kundalini becomes awakened and active.

The dormant Kundalini energy rises from the sacrum bone (located at the very bottom of the spine) through the spinal column. As a result, the energy centers (or chakras) become energized or nourished. When this energy passes through the brain, we spontaneously achieve mental silence.

More about Kundalini

Once our kundalini has been awakened and has travelled through this central channel, out the top of the head, we can begin to become aware of the vast internal galaxy of our subtle system. This initial “enlightenment” or Realization is only the beginning of our greatest adventure.

Kundalini is the primordial energy, the source of all energy. It is a living energy that knows how to act. Prior to Self-Realization, Kundalini lies dormant in the sacrum bone at the base of the spine. It is completely pure and immaculate. It cannot be stained or tarnished.

The Kundalini goes against the force of gravity. It rises on its own, like fire. It purifies, consumes and cleanses all that is useless (ideas, desires, feelings that take us away from spirituality). It doesn’t absorb imperfections–it removes them. This is why we sometimes feel heat in our hands during the meditation.

There are many ancient symbols of the Kundalini, including the serpent and river of celestial water. The dawning of the Age of Aquarius signaled her awakening.

She emits the impulse to search for something higher, for spiritual seeking.

She generates the power of pure desire—the power to evolve and to become one with the spirit.

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

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Events Calender
We are participating in these local and corporate events. To find out more about directions and how you can participate, please contact your local center coordinator or Emily Hu.

Aug 04 - Casino Pauma
Aug 19 - National School District
Aug 25 - Goodrich
Aug 25 - Oceanside Unified School District
Aug 19 - National School District
Sept 16 - GKN Aerospace
Sept 23 - Del Mar Fairgrounds
Sept 29 - MedImpact
Sept 30 - Santarus

Local Meditation Center
Sahaja Meditation Center (San Diego)
McGrath Court
7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., #222
San Diego, CA 92111

Beginner level classes
Tuesdays        6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Thursdays       6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Wednesdays   6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

I come to raise the kundalini of people

So the first thing I tried was to study about the kundalini, that I should be able to raise the kundalini. And I knew I had come for that, not for anything else, but only to raise the kundalini of people, so that they take to the central path, not to the right or to the left.

But I told you the knowledge of the left side, plus raising your kundalini. By raising your kundalini you broke your Sahasrara, and you entered into the realm of real joy, of reality. All these bad qualities started falling out.

In the central path first the Mooladhara came. By the awakening of the Mooladhara and the central path, you became very pure people. Your eyes became pure, your licentiousness went away, your cheapness went away and you became very, very – I think we should call them the holy people. Unless and until that happens you cannot be in Sahaja Yoga. You cannot be a licentious, you cannot be a flirtish, you cannot be a man who wants to, grab money from others and all that, or anyone who is very aggressive could be in Sahaja Yoga.

So all such people were thrown out. Once they were thrown out, they were showing their, teeth I should say. They didn't like it that they were thrown out. But they understand, now some of them, that we have made mistakes. So first thing is that you must develop your sense of Chastity. Respect it and enjoy it. That happened because of your Mooladhara being awakened. That's the first Chakra on the left side where you have Shri Ganesha.

But on the right side also, we have Deities. On every Chakra we have Deities to compensate. For Shri Ganesha is in the Center and that's how we were blessed, by His powerful purity. And we started understanding the beauty of purity, the power of purity. That's how our right side, we finished off. Right side was for fighting, for killing, anger. There was no peace for these people, the only thing they knew how to dominate others, and to be intolerable.

So then they rose, to a higher, higher level of, Swadisthan. In Swadisthana, they rose and the aggressiveness of the creative people, to create something. Even now we have many. They create all kinds of nonsense, create all type of grotesqueness, also very very, I should say, dirty things, to make a name.

So this is the another thing we got it in Swadisthana, people who wanted to have a name, a position, that came from right Swadisthana.

Then the third Chakra that was there was the Nabhi Chakra. On the Nabhi Chakra, they went all out to make money, not Lakshmi, but money, money by any means. And they cheated the whole world. With this money that they got, they did all kinds of bad things. Either they cheated or they were aggressive. Cheating was very much in the left side countries like India, and aggressiveness in the right side countries. In the center, what quality we have, at the Swadisthana is the creativeness. Creative of art, which is very beautiful, which is very deep, which is absolutely spiritual, that vanished and people started showing even the Incarnations full of dirty habits. All kinds of filth came in with that progress.

Then as I told there's Nabhi. In Nabhi, people got after money. Left sided people were making money. Right sided were aggressive with their money. If they were earning, they thought they were on top of the world. If they had money, they thought nobody's better then us. All this finished them off. It's finishing. It will come to that point where they will realize, that money is not for destroying, but for construction, constructing of the country, constructing of the human beings together to bring peace and love among them, for helping, for doing all kinds of good things. Then the same right sided people were to the Chakra of the Mother. ‘Han’ (Yes) and they were horrible mothers, tried to dominate their children, dominate everyone and could not sacrifice anything for their children. We have had enough of these women, who are aggressive with their husbands, are aggressive with their children. And even the motherhood among men is dead and finished.

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Chakras on Subtle Body and meditation

Home / Meditation Basics / Meditation and chakras

Meditation and chakras

Within every human being there is a subtle body of three energy channels (nadis) and seven energy centres (chakras). At the root of this system lies a creative, protective and nurturing power which is a dormant, maternal energy (Kundalini). When this power is awakened within us, it rises spontaneously through the spinal column, passes through each of the chakras and emits from the fontanelle bone area on top of the head. This process is referred to as Enlightenment (Self-realization). This energy can actually be felt on top of the head and on the palms of the hands. Any imbalances in the subtle system can be felt on various parts of each hand. Through this meditation one can learn, not only how to diagnose and decode the state of one's own inner subtle system, but one can also learn very simple clearing techniques to rebalance oneself.

There are 7 major chakras within our subtle body:

Mooladhara, Swadisthana, Nabhi (Manipura), Hearth (Anahata), Vishuddhi, Agnya, Sahasrara

Click for larger view!

Each chakra has different qualities and by healing or balancing these chakras, we awaken and enhance their qualities within us, making us more balanced and integrated. Our enlightened chakras give us joy and peace.

Each of these subtle chakras is a storehouse of energy for the gross plexuses supplying the physical, mental and emotional demands of the sympathetic nervous system. For instance, if the Swadisthan chakra looks after the abdominal organs, it also supplies energy to creative action and thought and depth to the aesthetic sensibility. Before Kundalini awakening, the energy in the chakras is limited and exhaustible, as in a battery. After realization, they are connected by Kundalini passing through Sushumna (the middle channel) to the infinite current of the universal superconscious, to the all-pervading power of divine love.

Mooladhara chakra

Physical manifestation: Pelvic plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 4
Element: Earth
Controls: Excretion and reproductive organs
Qualities: Innocence, wisdom, fearlessness
Place on hand: Heel of palm

Situated below the sacrum bone, the awakened Mooladhara chakra gives us innocence and wisdom. Innocence gives us joy without the limitation of conditionings and prejudice, a quality that can be found on small children. This quality diminishes as we grow up and develop a sense of ego and selfish desires. Fortunately this innate innocence is never destroyed and can return to us by practicing Sahaja Meditation. It is like the sun which is obscured by clouds but which shines again after the clouds pass. In India the elephant-headed deity, Shri Ganesha, is worshipped as the essence of innocence and wisdom. He has the body of a child, symbolizing innocence and the head of an elephant, symbolizing humility and wisdom.

Swadisthan chakra

Physical manifestation: Aortic plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 6
Element: Fire
Controls: Kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas, uterus, intestines
Qualities: Creativity, pure attention. pure desire, pure knowledge
Place on hand: Thumb

The Swadishthana chakra moves like a satellite around the Nabhi chakra and the Void and provides us with our sense of aesthetics, art, music, our appreciation and connection with nature. It looks after our digestive organs and provides us with the dynamic energy to do physical, mental and creative work.

The quality of Swadisthan is pure knowledge (Nirmala Vidya), knowledge of things as they are in the absolute sense. This knowledge needs to be experienced by ourselves directly not through an external agency.

The key to true creativity is in achieving the state of thoughtless awareness (nirvichar samadhi). Like a lake, silent and still, all the beauty of the creation around You, is reflected within. You become the flute, an egoless channel for the divine music of vibrations. You are, in the words of the Poet, 'a heart that watches and receives'.

Nabhi chakra

Physical manifestation: Navel/Solar plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 10
Element: Water
Controls: Stomach, intestines, liver, spleen
Qualities: Seeking, peace, generosity, satisfaction, pure attention, looking after others
Place on hand: Middle finger

When enlightened by the Kundalini, the Nabhi chakra gives us unconditional generosity, complete contentment and profound inner peace. On the right side, it looks after the upper part of our liver which is the organ of our attention. We seek food, shelter and comfort and ultimately, we seek to evolve into a new state of spiritual awareness and to receive our Self-realization.

"Satisfaction" is actually a key word for Nabhi. Because of liver problems and the consequent irritability people often develop the habit of expressing discontent at the slightest provocation. For them, life without worry is an impossibility.

When the Spirit manifests, you see things in their true perspective, through purified attention, and give up worrying. In the peace of thoughtlessness, you can only be content. Then you know the Spirit is not bothered with passing fads and trends, a button missing here or there. The mantra for Nabhi is : "In my Spirit I am satisfied."

Heart chakra

Physical manifestation: Cardiac plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 12
Element: Air
Controls: Heart, lungs, sternum bone
Qualities: Joy, compassion, sense of security, love, responsibility
Place on hand: Little finger

Within the Heart chakra resides the Self: the spirit or atma. The spirit manifests when our heart is open, at which point we feel the pure joy of existence and the meaning and purpose of our place in creation. The quality of the Heart chakra is pure, unconditional love. Before our realization we rarely love unconditionally-we expect something in return. We mistake feelings of love for physical attraction, infatuation and selfishness. We love our children because they are 'ours' but do not love other children in the same way. Often we expect something back from them later in life as a repayment for our love. Love that expects is emotional attachment. Pure love has no motive. It emanates from the spirit and not from the body or mind. If you see how a small puppy runs to every person it sees in a park just to give them its love and share with them its joy, that is the essence of love. The Heart chakra also manifests in the head at the fontanelle bone so it's important to keep our Heart chakra clean, as this is the entry point to the super consciousness, where the Kundalini escapes from the subtle system and unites us with the Paramachaitanya-the all-pervading power of divine love.

Vishuddhi chakra

Physical manifestation: Cervical plexus
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 16
Element: Sky/Space/Ether
Controls: Neck, arms, face, tongue, mouth, nose, teeth, thyroid
Qualities: Sweetness of communication, diplomacy, collectivity, detachment, self-respect and respect for others, brother/sister relationship
Place on hand: First finger

The Vishuddhi embodies the qualities which governs our communication with others. As it awakens we discover greater self-respect (left Vishuddhi) and greater respect for others (right Vishuddhi). Our ego is not bloated by praise and we are not upset by aggression or criticism. The Vishuddhi is also the chakra that manifests the power of witnessing. By daily practice of Sahaja Meditation, we become identified with our spirit. In this state of union with our spirit, we become witness of our body, our mind, our thoughts, our emotions, and ultimately the detached witness of the drama of our lives.

Agnya chakra

Physical manifestation: Optic chiasma
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 2
Element: Light
Controls: Pineal body/pituitary gland, eyesight, memory, mind
Qualities: Forgiveness
Place on hand: Ring finger

The Agnya is the narrow gate which, when open, allows our kundalini to ascend to the limbic area of the brain. It is the chakra of forgiveness, humility and compassion. Forgiveness is the power to let go of anger, hatred and resentment and to discover, in humility, the nobility and generosity of the spirit. Once we start to see that by not forgiving others we are actually doing no harm to anyone other than ourselves, we start to realize that it is not only wise and generous to forgive but also very practical and pragmatic. By forgiving, we start to feel a tremendous sense of peace and relief. Forgiveness melts away all our ego and conditionings, our false ideas of racism and nationalism and our misidentifications.

Sahasrara chakra

Physical manifestation: Limbic area of brain
Number of petals/sub-plexuses: 1000
Qualities: Joy, thoughtless awareness, union with the Divine, collective consciousness
Place on hand: Centre of palm

Our complete subtle instrument is integrated in the Sahasrara chakra. Each chakra has its seat. As our attention and our kundalini rise to Sahasrara chakra we enter a new dimension of consciousness. We go beyond the relative to the absolute. We rise above the three channels of the subtle system-beyond the past, present and future and into a timeless state and experience the inner joy and bliss of the divine. This is a heavenly place far beyond our imagination.

When the Kundalini reaches the Sahasrara, the thousand petals of this chakra begin to open and enlightenment begins to manifest. We may experience a pulsation at the fontanelle bone, followed by a subtle flow of cool vibrations. The Kundalini unites our individual consciousness to the universal consciousness. Our individual atma, our soul, is connected to the paramatma, the supreme spirit. We are suddenly tuned into the universal wavelength of vibrations, to the subtle joy that is present in nature. These vibrations pervade the universe but before Realization we are unaware of them.

The opening of this chakra is known as second birth. Our human birth can be likened to the hatching of an egg and Self-realization to the breaking of the egg and the emergence of the bird. This is why an egg is given at Easter, to symbolize the second birth.

The 3 energy channels

The left channel (ida nadi)
The left channel (blue) corresponds to our past, emotions, desires, affectivity. Its termination is the superego, which is the storehouse of all our memories, habits and conditionings.

The right channel (pingala nadi)
The right channel (yellow) corresponds to our actions and planning, to our physical and mental activity. Its termination is the ego, which gives us the idea of I-ness, the sense that we are separate from the world.

The central channel (sushumna nadi)
The central channel is the channel of ascent, it is the power which sustains our evolution and guides us, consciously or unconsciously, towards the higher awareness of the Sahasrara.

You will learn more detailed explanation about the chakras and basic balancing techniques in our free Online Meditation Course.

Next: Meditation and cool breeze (vibrations)